Apparatus for applying wrappers to fillers



K. F. ROBER Jan. 5, 1937.

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WRAPPERS TO FILLERS Filed Nov. 9, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Jan. 5, 1937; K, F, ROBER 2,066,486

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WRAPPERS TO FILLERS Filed Nov. 9, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig/1a Jan. 5, 1937. K. F. ROBER APPARATUS FOR APPLYING WRAPPEERS T0 FILLERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fi1e d Nov. .9, 1934 Fig. 8

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR. Arrmzmo WRAPPERS T0 Frames Konstantin Friedrich Rober, Dresden, Germany,

assignor to Universelle Cigarettenmaschinen- Fabrik J. C. Muller .8; Co, Dresden, Germany Application November 9, 1934, Serial No. 752,321 In Germany November 20, 1933 18 Claims.

This invention relates to means for applying the trailing'edge or tail end of wrappers to fillers.

In the mechanical manufacture of cigars the wrapper is carried by a controlled carrier member, usually in the form of a suction head, and the wrapper is applied about the filler from the burning end of the filler until finally the trailing edge or tail end of the wrapper leaf is applied to the head of the filler.

In order that the tail end which is coated with glue may be accurately and artistically applied to the conical or similarly profiled pointed head of the filler, many suggestions have been made which have taken into account the fact that the wrapper tail end which has been moistened by glue is particularly'difficult to handle and has a special tendency to fold and to tear.

However, it is essential if a cigar of good appearance is to be produced, to apply the tail end absolutely perfectly and smoothly to the filler head. Such an application can of course be effected'faultlessly by the cigar maker manually, but it has heretofore been impossible to obtain an equally satisfactory application of the tail end by means of mechanical means. Even yielding and control presser members which have been shaped to correspond to the profile of the filler head have been unable to effect a smooth application of the tail end. Furthermore, attempts to utilize the wrapper leaf carrier have been unsuccessful in securing a proper application of the tail end.

Furthermore, the known apparatus for app-lication of the wrapper to the burning end of the filler cannot be transposed so as to effect a proper application of the tail end of the wrapper to the filler. head. This is due to the fact that this. apparatus does not adequately compensate for the changes in the position of the wrapper end during the application to the cigar head. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages and deficiencies heretofore met inapplying the tail end of the wrapper to the filler.

The present invention is designed to make use of an arrangement of guide surfaces located above the filler head point or the taper thereof, and each of the levers carrying the guide surfaces is mounted upon a carrier member which will describe a movement longitudinally of the filler and also simultaneously a movement which corresponds to the taper of the filler head by turning about an axis disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the filler. By the use of such means the guide surfaces which are guided towards each other will receive the wrapper end between them and guide it to a position until the notch in the tail end has been passed, whereupon one of the guide surfaces, the inner one, is removed and the outer guide surface will take over the further guidance of the tail end until the application thereof to the filler has been completed.

In accordance with the above method it will be noted that the presser or guide members operate similarly to the fingers of a cigar maker when manually wrapping a cigar. At substantially the last moment after the tail end of the wrapper has been applied beyond the usual notch therein, the cigar maker also removes one finger and guides the last bit of the tail end without pressure by means of his other finger, whereby the tail end is applied quite automatically to the filler head point.

By means of applicants apparatus which will be set forth in detail below, it is thus possible to make the point of the cigar at the mouth end in a purely mechanical manner and to follow the exact procedure which is done in manual work. After the application of the tail end by applicants apparatus it is not necessary to perform any future smoothing, which as is known, imparts the undesirable gloss to the point. Instead, in accordance with this invention, after cutting the lighting end and placing the pointed end in the well known conventional but now stationary socket, a cigar may be produced which differs in no discernible respect from a manually made cigar, even if use should be made of the most delicate wrappers.

1 With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination of elements set forth below, claimed in the claims and shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the invention with the parts shown therein which are necessary for an understanding thereof,

Figure la is a plan view if a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 and showing a modified form of the guide members,

Figure 1b is a side view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1 and showing a further modified form of the guide members,

Figure 2 is a side view of the invention as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a front view of the parts shown in Figure 1 except that the guide surfaces have been moved together and are receiving the tail end of the wrapper therebetween,

Figure 5 is a side View of the showing in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a front view omitting the parts which are not absolutely necessary to an understanding thereof, of the position which the parts assume when the inner guide surface is withdrawn and the outer guide surface applies the last portion of the tail end to the outermost point of the filler head,

Figure '7 is a detail view of the two guide surface carriers as seen in the direction of the arrow shown at the left of Figure 4,

Figure 8 is a detail view of the two guide surface carriers as seen from the direction of the arrow at the right of Figure 4, and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 6 wherein both guide surfaces have been withdrawn to their outward position.

In the drawings similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the various figures. The cigar filler Z is located in the filler roller nest as shown particularly in Figure 1 and the rollers of the nest are indicated by the reference character W. The pointed head S of the filler as shown particularly in Figures 2 and 5 is, as is well known, covered at the end of the application of the wrapper about the filler by the tail end or trailing edge of the wrapper. The wrapper is brought into position in the usual manner by means of the carrier member T which may have the form of a suction head and which moves in a horizontal plane above the filler roller nest.

The suction head is controlled by suitable control means and is withdrawn from the filler during the wrapping of the filler. The wrapping operation begins at the lighting end of the filler and terminates with the glued tail end at the pointed head of the filler.

Two guide surfaces I and 2 are provided upon the ends of the swinging levers or arms 3 and 4 respectively. These guide surfaces are shaped so as to extend obliquely of the horizontal plane and extend primarily in the longitudinal direction of the filler Z. When the guide surfaces are in their operative positions they are located adjacent one another as shown in Figure 4 and are positioned substantially directly above the middle axis of the cigar filler Z.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 the guide surfaces are formed flat and plane. However, they may also be curved concavely or convexly as shown particularly in Figures la and 1b. In this connection the curvature must be such relative to the wrapper ends D which extend between the two guide surfaces that the wrapper is bent outwardly, because in this way only can the wrapper end be drawn smoothly and tightly as it is applied to the conical filler head.

The levers or arms 3 and 4 are pivotally mounted upon the carriers 5 and 6. The arm 3 has connected therewith a pin I which is engaged by the spring 8. The other end of the spring 8 is attached at 9 to a branch or tine ID of the carrier 5. The spring 8 urges the arm 3 against a guide cam or curve II which is provided upon the machine frame laterally of the filler roller nest and adjacent the point of the filler head. This guide curve I I is shaped so as to correspond with the shape of the filler head.

The arm 4 has connected thereto a pin I2 which has secured thereto a spring I3 and the other end of the spring is secured at l4 to the branch or tine I5 of the carrier 6. The spring I3 urges the arm 4 upwardly so as to contact the guide curve I6 which is attached or integral with the machine frame laterally of the filler roller nest and the curve I 6 also corresponds in shape to that of the point of the filler head.

The arm 5 pivots upon the stud I1 and the stud I1 is mounted in turn upon the bearing I8. The pivoting movement of the arm 5 is limited by the abutment as shown so that the carrier 5 is positioned vertically as shown in Figure 4. The arm 5 is drawn into this position by means of a spring I9 which on one hand engages the branch III of the carrier 5 at 9, and upon the other hand is connected to a pin 20 provided upon the bearing |8. As a result thereof the carrier 5 and the arm 3 and the guide surface I may be swung in a plane transversely of the longitudinal axis of the filler, but the spring I9 urges the carrier 5 into the vertical position as shown in Figure 4.

The carrier 6 of the arm 4 with the other guide surface 2 is pivoted upon stud 2| which in turn is carried in bearing 22. The spring 23 is connected at I 4 and the other end thereof is attached to a pin 24 provided upon the bearing 22 as shown particularly in Figure 8. The spring 23 constantly urges the carrier 6 into the upright position shown in Figure 4 which position is determined by means of the abutment shown. Due to the construction above this carrier 6 can also be oscillated in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the filler.

The two bearing members I8 and 22 are secured to a shaft 25 which extends along the machine frame transversely of the longitudinal axis of the filler and is journalled in the machine frame. Mounted upon one end of this shaft 25 is a gear 26 which meshes with a toothed sector 21. The sector 2'! is provided upon the end of a double arm lever which is pivotally mounted upon the bolt 28 secured to the frame.

The downwardly extending arm 29 of this lever is bent outwardly as shown particularly in Figures l and 4 and carries a cam roller 30. The roller 30 contacts a cam 3| arising upwardly from the disk 32. The roller 30 is constantly urged against the cam 3| by means of the spring 33, one end of which engages the end of the double arm lever, while the other end is secured to the machine frame.

When the roller 30 enters the recessed portion 3| of the cam 3| the double arm lever will swing outwardly and the toothed sector 21 carried thereby will produce a corresponding rotation of the shaft 25. This rotation will cause a corresponding swinging of the carriers 5 and 6 along the longitudinal axis of the filler so that the carrier 5 will be swung from the position shown in Figure 5 to that shown in Figure 2.

The cam disk 32 is secured to the drive shaft A. The disk 32 has also formed thereon an outside cam track as shown in Figures 1 and 4 upon which the roller 34 travels. The roller 34 is connected to the end of the oscillating lever 35 which is pivoted to the frame by the bolt 36. This lever is provided with two upwardly extending projections 31 and 38. The projection 31 cooperates with an extension 39 provided upon the bearing I3 of the carrier 5, while the projection 38 extends toward and bears directly on the carrier 6 by means of the hook-shaped bent end 40 thereon.

As is apparent, the outward swinging of the lever 35 produced by means of the outside cam track upon the disk 32 results in the outward 7 also swung reversely from the latter positions back into the position of Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 4 in the operative position, there is still some loose play between the projections-s1 and 39 so that there will first be a lost motionupon the part of projection 31 while the projection 38 immediately actuates the carrier 6 causing an outward swinging thereof. The first movement upon the part of the lever 35 will therefore place the parts in the position as shown in Figure 6. After this position has been reached then the projection 31 comes into play and swings the carrier outwardly also until the position of the parts shown in Figures 1 and 9 is reached.

The apparatus above described operates in the following manner. After the introduction of the cigar filler Z into the filler roller nest W, the wrapper is brought over by the carrier T and is wrapped around the filler beginning from the lighting end thereof. During this operation the guide surfaces I and 2 are in the position shown in Figure 1. a

As the wrapping proceeds and the wrapper approaches the point of the filler head the guide surfaces I and 2 close into the position shown. in Figure 4 due to a corresponding inwardly swinging of the carriers 5 and 6. As the result of the oblique arrangement, the guide surface 2 comes into position under the guide surface I. However, the spring mounting of the arm 4 is maintained at such a strength that the tobacco leaf disposed between the two guide surfaces can slip between the surfaces smoothly and with substantially no friction even if there should happen to be relatively thick ribs or veins in the leaf.

As soon as the guide surfaces have come together as shown in Figure 4 the carriers 5 and S are actuated from the gear drive 26, 21 and begin their outward swinging along the longitudinal axis of the filler. During this movement the arms 3 and 4 are caused to move due to the guide cams I I and I6 in accordance with the profile of the point of the filler head. Therefore the guide surfaces I and 2 not only describe a movement alon the longitudinal axis of the filler but also describe a simultaneous arcuate movement corresponding to the profile of the point of the filler head. Consequently the tail end or trailing edge of the Wrapper is accurately guided between the guide surfaces I and 2 in accordance with the progress of the Wrapping and the profile of the point of the filler head.

As is well known, the trailing edge of the wrapper is notched during its application to the filler head. The cutting mechanism used for this purpose has been omitted from the drawings for the sake of clarity. As is Well known, the function of the notch is to enable the last portion of the end of the trailing edge to be applied as a conical cap on the point of the filler head. The guide surfaces l and 2 accompany the trailing edge of the wrapper and the wrapper is guided by them into the position shown in Figure 4 until the aforementioned cutting is eifected and it is only when the last notch end of the trailing edge is to be applied that the oscillation of the lever 35 swings the carrier 6 outwardly in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filler so that the inner guide surface 2 will leave the trailing edge of the wrapper and move to the position shown in Figure 6. At this time the guide surface I alone takes over the guiding of the trailing edge of the wrapper and this guide surface is still influenced by the corresponding oscillation of the carrier 5 in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filler and also following the filler profile due to the action of the guide I curve or cam II until the last end of the trailing edge has also been applied to the point of the filler head. During this last operation the surface I does not come into contact at all with the cigar filler but merely guides the end of the trailing edge of the wrapper which glides thereon.

Upon completion of the foregoing, the projection 3'! comes into engagement with the extension 39 of the carrier 5 and the latter is then also swung transversely of the longitudinal axis of the filler and thus arrives at the position shown in Figure 9. At the same time the control lever which carries the toothed sector 27 is swung back so that both of the carriers 5 and 6 return to their upright position such as shown in Figures 1 and 5 and then the procedure may begin anew.

The above apparatus described in detail constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is understood that all modifications.

as will fall Within the spirit of the following claims are included in the invention.

I claim 1. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, 'means for applying a wrapper to a filler in said nest and means for guiding the. trailing edge of said Wrapper about the head of said filler, said last named means also smoothing the trailing edge of said wrapper prior to its application.

2. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, guiding elements for the trailing edge of a wrapper located adjacent said nest and means for withdrawing one of said guiding elements as the last portion of said trailing edge is applied to a filler in said nest.

3. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, guiding elements for the trailing edge of a wrapper located adjacent said nest, means for Withdrawing one of said guiding elements as the last portion of said trailing edge is applied and means for withdrawing the remainder of said guiding elements.

4. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, means for applying a wrapper to a filler in said nest, means for guiding the trailing edge of said wrapper about the head of said filler and means for moving said guiding means along the profile of said head.

5. An apparatus for app-lying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, means for applying a wrapper to a filler in said nest, means for guiding the trailing edge of said wrapper about the head of said filler, means for moving said guiding means along the longitudinal axis of said filler and simultaneously transversely of said axis.

6. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, means for applying a wrapper to a filler, said last named means also smoothing said trailing edge prior to its application in said nest, means for guiding the trailing edge of said wrapper about the head of said filler and means for oscillating said guiding means about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said filler.

7. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, means for applying a wrapper to a filler in said nest, reciprocating guiding and smoothing members for said wrapper located adjacent said nest and means for moving said members in conformance with the contour of said filler.

8. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a roller nest, means for applying a wrapper to a filler in said nest, reciprocating guiding members for said wrapper located adjacent said nest, means for moving one of said members away from said nest prior to the others and means for oscillating said guiding members about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of said filler.

9. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide and smoothing surfaces for the wrapper and means for moving said guide and smoothing surfaces so as to move substantially along the contour of the head of a cigar filler.

10. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of guide surfaces for the wrapper located substantially over the longitudinal center of a filler disposed within a roller nest, means for reciprocating said guide surfaces oppositely to one another and means for moving said guide surfaces substantially parallel to the contour of the head of said cigar filler.

11. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces for the wrapper positioned obliquely to a horizontal plane above a filler within a roller nest, means for moving said guide surfaces so as to conform substantially with the contour of the head of the cigar filler and means for moving one of said guide surfaces prior to the movement of the other guide surface away from said nest.

12. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces for the wrapper located above a filler in a roller nest, pivotal levers carrying said guide surfaces, pivoted carriers for said levers and means whereby said carriers carrying said levers can oscillate about an axis disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of a filler.

13. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of guide surfaces, pivoted levers carrying said guide surfaces, pivoted carriers upon which said levers are mounted, a shaft upon which carriers can rotate, guide cams for said levers and resilient means urging said levers against said guide cams.

14. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces for the wrapper of a cigar, pivoted levers carrying said guide surfaces, pivoted carriers upon which said levers are mounted, resilient means urging said carriers towards one another and said guide surfaces adjacent one another, a universal mounting for each of said carriers, means for oscillating said carriers, guide means for said levers and means for maintaining said guide means in contact with said levers.

15. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed yielding guide surfaces, levers upon which said guide surfaces are located, said guide surfaces being located adjacent the tapered head of a filler in a roller nest, means for moving said guide surfaces toward and away from one another, carriers upon which said levers are mounted, means for moving said carriers longitudinally of the filler and simultaneously in accordance with the contour of the filler head whereby the wrapper end is received by the guide surfaces when they are moved to a position opposite each other and then guide the same until the notch in the trailing end of a wrapper is overstepped and means for moving one of said guide surfaces away from its guiding position thereby permitting the other guide surface to continue the guiding of the wrapper end until the application thereof has been completed.

16. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces for the wrapper of a cigar, levers upon which said guide surfaces are provided, carriers for said levers, means for resiliently mounting said levers upon said carriers, a shaft for said carriers, bearings upon said shaft upon which said carriers are mounted and means for rotating said carriers whereby said carriers together with said levers and guiding surfaces are oscillated about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of a filler being wrapped.

17. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces, levers upon which said guide surfaces are disposed, carriers for said levers, a guiding cam for one of said levers, means upon one of said carriers resiliently urging the lever attached thereto against said guide cam, a second hook-shaped guide cam, means upon the second carrier for urging the lever pivoted thereto upwardly against said hookshaped guide cam, and means for oscillating said carriers about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the filler being wrapped and said guide cam and hook-shaped guide cam being shaped to correspond substantially with the contour of the head of a cigar filler.

18. An apparatus for applying the trailing edge of a wrapper to a cigar filler comprising a pair of oppositely disposed guide surfaces, levers upon which said guide surfaces are provided, carriers to which said levers are pivoted, resilient means urging said carriers toward one another, cam means for forcing said carriers away from one another, a shaft, bearings mounted upon said shaft to which said carriers are pivotally connected and cam means for rotating said shaft and thereby oscillating said carriers together with the levers and guide surfaces.

KONSTANTIN FRIEDRICH RCBER. 

